Windmill



April 20 ,1926. 1,581,862

F. R. OWENS WINDMILL Original Filed Feb. '7. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 G z /0 ER. owerw WITNESS: ATI'ORNEY A ril 20, 1926. 1,581,862

F. R. OWENS WINDMILL ri inal F l 7. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L /0 F.1 aOwena I NVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY April 20, 1926. 1,581,862

F. R. OWENS WINDMILL Original Filed Feb. 7. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i l] X J ITNESS: ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANK R. OWENS, F BEAVER CRQSS ING, NEBRASKA.

wINnMILL.

Application filed February 7, 1925, Serial Ho. 7,65l. Renewed. March 2, 1926.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. OwENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Crossing, in the county of Seward and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVindmillS, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wind mills or wind motors and has for an object the provision of means for controlling the operation of the mill by automatically moving the wind wheel off the wind when the latter reaches a given velocity and for automatically returning the wheel to operative position as the velocity of the wind decreases.

Another object of the invention is the provision ofmeans for locking the head of themill against rotation in one direction when the mill is in operation, the purpose being to prevent tendency of the wind wheel to move out of the wind due to the direction of rotation of said wheel, the locking means permitting free rotation of the head in an opposite direction;

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically relea.--'

i-ng the locking means. above mentioned in the event of a change in direction of the wind and thus permit the head to revolve freely until the wheel is in proper operative position and to thereafter automatically lock the head against rotation in one direction. Another object of the invention is the provision of a wind wheel of novel construction wherein the blades of the wheel are secured to the wheel frame in a manner to 1"lrevent the blades from splitting so that the latter may be made of relatively thin light wood.

With the above and other obiects in view, the inventionfurther includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims. Inthe drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a ind mill constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional perspective view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure '3 is an elevation of the mill. Figure at is a fragmentary vertical sectional'view.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the mill.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the wind wheel with some of the blades removed.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the blade clamps with a portion of the'hlade shown by dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings in detail where in like characters of reference denote corre sponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates a portion of the tower of the mill, the upper end of which includes a cylinder 11. The standards or angle irons which form a part of the tower 10arefbolted to the cylinder 11 as indicated at 12. The cylinder 11 is provided at its upper end with a horizontally disposed flange 13 and the upper edge of this flange is provided with spaced teeth 1 1, the purpose of which will be later explainedi I Rotatably mounted upon the tower 10 is. a head which includes a lower cylindrical portion or sleeve 15. This sleeve extends downwardlywithin the cylinder 11 and is provided with an annular groove 17 for the reception of the inner ends of studs 18, the latter being carried by and extending through the cylinder 11 so that the sleeve is swiveled within the cylinder. The sleeve is provided withan annular flange 19 which extends over the flange 13 and located hetween these flanges are balls or anti-friction devices 20. The flanges 13 and 19 thus provide bearing flanges for rot-stably support in the head.

Extending upwardly from the sleeve is a gear housing 9.1 and rotatably mounted within this housing is a horizontally disposed wheel shaft 22 upon the outer end of which is mounted a wind wheel 23. This shaft extends through a stullingbox 2 and has securedthereon within the housing 9.1 beveled pinion 25. This pinion engages and drives a beveled pinion 26 which is mounted upon the upper end of a vertically disposed shaft 27. the latter extending downwardly and being adapted for operative association with a pump jack or the like. The shaftQ'T extends through a stuiiing bOX 28. Thehousing 21 is closed by a removable lid or cover 29 while a passage 30 extends through the housing;

Extending upwardly from the housin 21 is a vertically disposed arm 29 from which extends spaced horizontally disposed brackets' 30 and -31. I Pivotally mounted within these brackets is vertically disposed post 32 and extending from this post is a horizontal arm 33 to which is secured a vane 34.

Also extending from the post 32 is an arm 35 and secured to this arm is one end of a chain or cable 36 which passes over a grooved pulley 37, the latter being mounted for rotation upon the arm 29. The opposite end of the chain or cable 36 is connected to a bar or rod 38 which operates through a guide bracket 39 extending from the gear housing 21. The lower end of the bar or rod 38 is connected through the medium of a spring tO with a bracket arm 41 which is rigid with the gear housing 21. This arrangement holds the vane 34 normally rigid with respect to the rotatable head and yieldingly maintains the vane at a rightangle with respect to the wheel :3. The vane however is capable of being moved horizontally so as to throw the wheel off the wind, This may be accomplished manually by pulling upon a chain or cable which extends downwardly through the passage 21 of the gear housing and which passes over a grooved-pulley 43 carried by the bracket 31 and is secured to an arm a l which extends from the post Extending from the post 32 is a horizontally disposed stud 5 and pivotally mounted upon this stud is the inner end of an arm 46. This arm is normally vertically disposed and carries at its outer end a governor vane 47. For the purpose of pivoting the arm 46 upon the stud 45, the inner end of the said arm carries a sleeve 48 and secured to this sleeve is a segmental gear 49 which engages a segmental gear 50 rigid with the bracket 31. As the vane 4-7 is normally vertically disposed and arranged in the path of travel of the winch wind of a given velocity will cause the vane 47 to move downward. This downward movement will through the engagement ottlie gears ll) and 50, rotate the post 32 to move the vane 3s: and thus move the wind wheel of? the wind. The degree of this movement is proportionate to the increase in velocity of the wind. As soon as the velocity of the wind decreases the spring 40 will cause the vanes 34- and- 7 to return to their normal positions. The blades of the wheel 23 are so arranged as to cause the wheel to rotate in an anticlockwise direction and to prevent any tendency of the head of the mill to rotate horizontally clockwise due to the force of rotation of the wheel 23, there is pivotally mounted upon the gear housing 21 as shown d151, a dog52 which engages the teeth 14:. This dog will hold the head against-rotation horizontally clockwise but will permit tree rotation in an opposite direction, The dog is provided with an arm 53 which is adapted to be engaged by roller 5% which is carried by the rod or bar Should the wind strike the vane 34*. from the direction of the arrow indicated at A in Figure 1' of the drawings, movement of the vane 3i in the direction of the wind will move the bar or 1'0( 38 upward and cause the roller 54: to engage the arm 53 to lift the dog from engagement with the teeth H and permit the head to revolve. As soon as the wheel is positioned, pressure upon the vane 34. will be released and the dog 52 will re-engage the teeth ll to hold the wheel in position as before described. This engagement of the dog 52 from the teeth 14 is also effected by downward movement of the vane 47, this down *ard movement rotating the post 32 and lifting the rod or bar 38.

The wheel 23 comprises a hub 55 from which extend spokes 56, while secured to these spokes are spaced rings or annuli 57. The blades 58 of the wheel are secured to these rings 57 by clamps 59. These clamps are formed of sheet metal bent to provide spaced plates 60 which receive between them the blades 58, while bolts or screws 61 serve to hold the blades in position. Extending from oneot the plates 60 is an offset air tightplate ('32 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the rings 57. The plate 62 and the plate 60 trom which it extends are con nected by a substantially triangular or wedgeshaped portion 63 so that when the plate 62 is secured to its ring 57 the clamp ing plate 60 will be disposed at an angle with respect to the face of the wheel so that the blades will be arranged substantially as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings.

Pivotally secured upon the bracket 39 as indicated at (35 is an arm 66 while a similar arm 67 is pivotally secured to the rod 38 as shown at 68, The arms 66 and 67 are provided with inwardly extending projections 69 which are connected by a pivot 70. The arms 66 and 67 are further provided with spaced notches 71. These notches provide seats for the opposite ends of a spring 72 which acts to force the opposite ends of the arms apart and thus resist upward move ment of the rod 38. The resistance may be increased or reduced by adjusting the spring 72 in the notches 71. The tension at which the vane 34 will operate may thus be regulated.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its fornn proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l'laving described the invention "what is claimed isi- 1. In awind mill. a support. a horizontally rotatable head including a wind wheel. a horizontally disposed vane extending from the head for holding the wheel in the wind,

associating the vanes whereby the vertically. disposed vane may be actuated to move the horizontal vane, ratchet means for holding the head against movement in one direction, means controlled by either of the vanes for releasing the head holding means and means for automatically returning the vanes to normal position. v

3: In a wind mill, a horizontally rotatablehead including a wind wheel, ft'*\"(-)ltic-ally disposed arm included in the head,

spaced horizontally disposed brackets eX- tending from the arm, a vertically disposed post having its opposite ends mounted in the spaced brackets, right angularly disposed vanes supported bythe post, means whereby one of the vanes will act to hold the wheel in operative position, means whereby the other vane may be actuated to control the aosition of the first mentioned vane and means for returning the vanes to normal position.

it. In a wind mill, a horizontally rotatable head including a wind wheel, a vertically disposed arm included in the head, spaced horizontally disposed brackets extending from the arm, a vertically disposed post having its opposite ends mounted in the spaced brackets, right angularly disposed va-nes supported by the post, means whereby one of the vanes will act to hold the wheel in operative position, means carried by the other vane and operatively associated with one of the brackets to control the position of the first mentioned vane and means forreturning the vanes to normal position.

5. In a windmill, a horizontally rotatable head including a wind wheel, a vertically disposed arm included in the head, spaced horizontally disposed brackets extending from the arm, a vertically disposed post having its opposite ends mounted for rotation in the spaced brackets, a horizontally movable vane extending from the post and adapted to hold the wheel in operative position, a normally vertically disposed vane, means including the post for connecting the vanes whereby the latter may be simultaneously or independently moved to control the position of the wheel and means for returning the vanes to normal position.

6. In a windmill, a horizontally rotatable hes. d includinga wind wheel, a ratchet mechanism for holding the wheel against rotation in one direction, a direction vane, a governor vane and means operatively associating the vanes and ratchet mechanism whereby movement or either of the vanes will disengage said ratchet mechani m and release the head. 7

7. In a windmill, a horizontallyrotatable head including a wind wheel, a horizontally disposed vane extending from the head for holding the wheel in the wind, a vertically disposed vane, means operatively associating the vanes whereby the vertically disposed 'vanc may be actuated to move the horizontat vane, means for automatically returning the vanes to normal position and means inciuding spaced pivotally mounted yieldingly held arms for adjusting the automatic retuining means of the horizontal vane.

In a windmill, a horizontally rotatable head including a wind wheel, a horizontally holding the wheel in the wind, a vertically disposed vane, means ope'ratively associating the vanes whereby the vertically -disposed vane may be actuated to move the l1orizontal vane, .means for automatically returning the vanes to normal position and yieldingly adjustable means for regulating the automatic returning means of the horizontal vane. I

9. In a windmill, a horizontally rotatable head including a wind wheel, a horizontally disposed vane extending from the head for holding the wheel in the wind, a vertically disposed vane, means operatively associating the vanes whereby the vertically disposed vane may be actuated to move the horizontal vane, means including a spring resisted vertically movable rod for automatically returning the vanes to normal position and adjustable means associated with the rod for regulating the vane, returning 10. In a windmill, a horizontally rotatable head including a. wind wheel, a horizontally disposed vane extending from the head for holding the wheel in the wind, a vertically disposed vane, means operatively associating the vanes whereby the vertically disposed vane maybe actuated to move the horizontal vane, means including a spring resisted vertically movable rod for automaticaliy returning the vanes to normal position, pivotally connected arms associated with the rod and spring means adjustably engaging the arms for regulating the vane returning means.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signaturo.

FRANK R. OlVENS,

disposed vane extending from the head for 

